It's all in the name.

My name is Jon Sagud. You can figure out my first name, even without an "h". But the last name is a bit tougher. It's pronounced "Say Good". Easy when you know how, not so much when you don't. About one in twenty get it right. I've dealt with it for 60+ years, never understanding why I wasn't a Smith. Until now. Now I get it.

 

I was flying back home from a business trip and delighted to be the guest of the most amazing flight attendant. Trapped in an aluminum tube with 150 people wishing they were anywhere else, she was all smiles, always made eye contact and truly acted like she got up that morning for the sole purpose of helping me. She made the 6 hour flight go by in half the time and, upon deplaning, I stopped and thanked her, making a point of how much I appreciated her efforts. She blushed, showed genuine emotion, and I could tell that people didn't make the effort to thank her enough; she was touched. That moment felt amazing. She felt appreciated, I felt great for making her day, and we both came away feeling "better". I wanted that moment to have legs, to last. I wished that I had something to give her, something she could show her friend, or husband, or parents, or partner, as a reminder of that moment.

 

I laid in bed that night thinking about it. I'd love to have "things" that I could hand someone when they made an effort to brighten my day. A token of my appreciation. Just a few, so as not to get complicated, different colors, so you knew the sentiment by color, made from biodegradeable, recycled paper, so they would be environmentally friendly. And made in America.

 

Nah. No way. Dumb idea. Some company in China would make 10 billion of them, at a quarter of the cost, and I'd be out of biz. Unless I could brand them. You know, so they would have a name, and if they didn't have the name, they wouldn't be one. What could I call these things? Hmmmm. How 'bout SaGud Things?

 

I had a dear friend, a girl I knew for 50 years. She developed early onset Alzheimer's Disease and after 11 agonizing years, passed. I watched the incredible pain and sadness suffered by her husband and daughters for those 11 years and it was beyond heart breaking. I have searched for a way to help, but my meager contributions are not making a dent. SaGud Things became my way to help, with $2.00 from every sale going to the Alzheimer's Association. It's still just a dent, but, hopefully, it will be a bigger dent.

 

So, give them away. Tell people that they are awesome. Leave one in the restaurant receipt folder for the server that made the experience memorable. Make a real connection with people and share the positivity that the world is in clear need of. The biggest rush is the one you get when you do. Be nice and say good things!